Moving toy and exercising device



Jan. 21, 1969' F. KERSTHOLT ET AL 3,423,105

. MOVING TOY AND EXERCISING DEVICE Filed Aug. 18, 1966 Sheet 01 2 i 13 5f6 2 I5 3 5 3 FT 2 l0 2 J 5 g 6 6 55 MIVENTOR [FRITZ EIRSTHOLT GERDIKERSTHOLT A TTC RNEY.

Jan. 21, 1969 F. KERSTHOLT ETAL 3,423,105

MOVING TOY AND EXERCISING DEVICE Sheet Filed Aug. 18, 1966 //v VENTORGERDI KERSTHOLT Y FRITZ MRSTHOLT A TTORNE Y.

United States Patent 3,423,105 MOVING TOY AND EXERCISING DEVICE FritzKerstholt and Gerdi Kersthoit, both of Braunfelser Str. 180,Philippstein, Germany Filed Aug. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 573,290

Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 24, 1965,

K 52,057; June 18, 1966, K 59,532 US. Cl. 280218 7 Claims Int. Cl. B6Zm29/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISQLOSURE A toy and exercising device for movinga person cornprising a supporting body having two rigid leg pairspivotally secured thereto, said leg pairs each having a lever and aspring means associated therewith, each said lever and spring meansacting independently of the other, and adjustable blocking means for theleg pairs whereby locomotion can be effected by alternatingly spreadingand pulling together the leg pairs. The leg pairs may terminate in anysuitable surface engaging means such as wheels or runners.

The invention relates to a toy and exercising device capable oftransporting a person, provided with two pairs of legs which are rigidin themselves and are rotatably mounted on the body of the device. Theseleg pairs can be spread apart and pulled together by the oscillatoryforce exerted by the person using the device, or by the force of aspring. When movement of the leg pairs in one direction is prevented orblocked, the device'will travel in the other direction during thealternate contracting and spreading of the legs.

In summary, the toy and exercising device of this invention comprises asupporting body with two rigid leg pairs having one end pivotly mounted,respectively, on opposite ends of the supporting body. A pair of wheelsare mounted on the other ends of each leg pair. At least one tensionadjustable spring means extends from each leg pair in the direction ofthe supporting body adjacent the other leg pair, one end of the springmeans being attached to a lever means fastened at the leg pair andpositioned for increasing the respective lever arm when the springtension is increased by outward pivotal movement of the respective legpair. The other end of the spring means is attached to the supportingbody. The device is provided with an adjustable blocking means adjacentthe wheels for preventing movement of the wheels along the ground in apredetermined direction, whereby locomotion can be effected byalternatingly spreading and pulling together the leg pairs due to theoscillating force exerted by a person using the device and the force ofthe spring means.

Similar devices have been previously known. In one of the known devicesa spring is extended between the leg pairs to pull back the rear legpair when the user displaces his weight along the axis of the device andstands on foot rests adjacent the front leg pair. In another knowndevice, the foot rests, attached in the manner of stirrups, areconnected via a lever system with the rear legs in such a manner thatthese rear legs are pulled forward when the user places his weight uponthe foot rests. A spring engages between the leg pairs and assists inpulling the rear legs forward.

All known devices have the disadvantage that they are operated by avigorous weight displacement by the user along the axis of the device,and the longitudinal axis of the device assumes an oblique angle withrespect to ground during operation, creating an insecure feeling in theoperator.

Patented Jan. 21, 1969 It is the object of this invention to provide anoscillating locomotive toy or exercise device which is not subject tothe above limitations and difficulties. It is another object of thisinvention to provide a device as aforesaid which does not requireforward or rearward weight displacement for operation and which does nottilt or assume an oblique angle during operation, causing insecurity inthe operator.

The device of this invention is operated by slight, vertical swingingmotions of the person using the device, and its supporting body remainsin an approximately parallel position with respect to ground duringoperation. Moreover, the construction of this novel device isinexpensive.

Therefore, the invention is a toy and exercising device. It isdistinguished by the fact that two springs are provided which can beadjusted with respect to their tension; one end of each of these springsengages a respective leg pair via a lever and the other end engages thesupporting body. The levers are attached to the leg pairs in such amanner that the lever arm effective upon the leg pair is lengthened whenthe spring pertaining thereto is tensioned. Furthermore, the pair ofwheels of at least one leg pair is pivotable about an axis at rightangles to the axis of the wheel pair, and stabilizing means are providedfor maintaining the position of this pivotal axis independent of therespective angular position of the leg pairs with respect to the ground.According to a further feature of the invention, the wheel pairs at bothleg pairs are controllable. In this connection, the wheel pairs can bothbe steered manually, or the front wheels are manually controlled, whilethe rear wheels are steered by rope pulleys originating at the footrests.

One particular advantage of the novel device is the device swings gentlybecause it has no bearing surfaces or stops for the leg pairs. It isoperated solely by vertical motions of the user, slight oscillatorymovements being sufficient. Moreover, the device has a relatively largeseat area, i.e., it is possible to sit along the axis of the body of thedevice more toward the front or more to the rear. The function of thedevice thus is almost independent of the seating positions of the user.If the device is provided with double steering, i.e., with means forexerting control upon the pivoting of the front and rear wheels axesindependently of each other, it is possible to execute driving patternswhich cannot be executed with the conventional devices. Thus, the devicecan, for example, be turned within an extremely small area. It is evenpossible to ride it in an approximately right angle, the device alwaysmaintaining its vertical position in space.

Embodiments for the novel device are illustrated in the drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the inventron.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the device of FIG. 1 in partial section, and

FIG. 3 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the invention.

The device shown in FIG. 1 comprises essentially a supporting body 1, aswell as two leg pairs 2 and 3 pivotly mounted to the supporting body.The supporting body is fashioned from two elongated tubular bodiesconnected with each other by crosstie rods. Each pair of legs isprovided with a pair of wheels 5 at its free end. These wheels areprovided with blocking brackets 6 which automatically act upon therolling surfaces of the wheels. These blocking or brake brackets arepreferably placed into their operating position by hand and areselectively effective, when the wheels are turning, in the clockwisedirection as shown in FIG. 1 or in the counterclockwise direction whenthe blocking brackets are in the opposite position; they can also berendered ineffective. In the former case, the device, when actuated,moves forward or backward; in the latter case, it remains stationarywhile executing the rocking motion. At each of the leg pairs, a lever 7is provided cooperating with respectively one spring 8 attached to thesupporting body. The position of the lever at the leg pair is such that,when the Spring is tensioned, the effective lever arm increases. Thesprings can be biased by means of spindles 9 and can thus be adjusted tothe weight of the person using the device.

The pair of wheels of the leg pair illustrated on the right-hand side isrotatably mounted about an upright axis 11 at right angles to its ownhorizontal axis 10. The axle 11 is guided in a further horizontal axle19 which, in turn, is rotatably mounted to the ends of the leg pair. Asupport 13 is jointedly connected at the pivot axle 11 or the axle 19,by means of a flexible joint such as a ball joint 12, and extends to thesupporting body 1 via a ball joint 14. By means of this support 13, theupright axle 11 is always maintained approximately in its verticalposition in space, this being independent of the angle formed by the legpair with the ground. The axle 19 can be provided with a swivelingbolster for guiding the wheel axle 10.

A gripping handle 15 is attached which is rotatably mounted at thesupporting body for steering the device; by transmitting the rotatorymotions of this handle, via rope pulleys 16, the wheel axle 10 ispivoted. The device is provided with an upholstered seat 17, as well assupports 18 for the users feet; these supports can be mounted to thesupporting body 1 in a rigid or movable manner.

By vertical swinging motions of the person using the device, the legpairs are alternately spread apart and pulled together and the device ismade to function. Depending upon the position of the blocking brackets6, a locomotion is executed, or the device rocks in one place.

It is also possible to equip the device with a steerable set of wheelson each leg pair. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the gripping handle20 can be made of two parts, a pivotable shaft 21 and a sleeve 22,respectively, the sleeve having a recess permitting movement of theinner handle about a vertical axis. Each sleeve shell-handle combination21, 21' and 22, 22 is rotatably mounted with respect to the other sothat it is possible, for example, to steer the rear wheel pair with theright hand and the pair of front wheels with the left hand so that bothsteering operations are independent of each other.

It is likewise possible to effect the steering motions of the frontwheels by directly turning the guide braces of the front leg pair, whileeffecting the steering motions for the rear wheels via pulleys from thefoot rests. However, for such an operation, the guide brace must beconnected to the pivot axle or to the axle corresponding the axle 19 bymeans of a universal joint. An example of this arrangement isillustrated in FIG. 3. The guide brace 23, connected with the pivot axle11 via a fiexible joint such as a universal joint 24, is rotatablymounted in a bus-hing 25. This bushing is mounted on the supporting body1 so that it is rotatable about an axis at right angles to itslongitudinal axis. The brace is provided with two pins 27 serving asstops for the longitudinal movements of the brace in the bushing. Twosprings 26 rest on the bushing, on the one hand, and on the pins 27, onthe other hand. When the legs 2 are spread, the brace 23 is displacedupwardly in the bushing. This displacement is compensated for when thelegs are pulled together by means of the spring above the bushing.

It is also possible to construct the device in such a manner that aparallelogram is formed by the guide brace in combination with the legpair 2, the pivot axle 11, as well as the section of the supporting bodydefined by the bearing points for the leg pair and theupper joint of theguide brace. In this case, the upper joint of the guide brace can beconstructed as a simple knuckle joint. The

guide brace carries at its upper end a manual lever or grip 15, as asteering member.

It will often be desirable to fashion the device as an imitation of ananimal, for example a horse. In this case, it is possible to fasten thehead, as well as the tail of the animal imitation directly torespectively one guide brace, or at the upper joint of the guide brace.This is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3. When actuating the device,movements very similar to the motions of a genuine animal are obtainedwith the supporting body being the body of the animal.

Because of the considerable speed achievable with this device, it isadvantageous to provide a brake.

For use in the wintertime, the wheels can be provided with skids 30.Drag pins 31 of a conventional type move the device in the desireddirection on the skids.

Alternatively, the lever for the tension spring engaging the leg paircan be provided by constructing the rod structure of the legsaccordingly. It is also possible to mount both leg pairs on a commonaxle at the sup-porting body. Also, one of the leg pairs can be replacedby a single leg.

We claim:

1. A toy and exercising device for moving a person comprising asupporting body, said supporting body having a front end portion and arear end portion, two rigid leg pairs pivotly secured at end thereof tosaid supporting body, one said leg pair to said front end portion andthe other said leg pair to said rear end portion, a pair of wheelsmounted on the other end of each said leg pair, said leg pairs eachhaving an independent biasing means, said biasing means comprising alever fixedly carried by each of said leg pairs, and at least oneindependent spring means associated with each of said levers, one saidspring means extending between said front end leg pairs lever and saidrear end portion of said supporting body, and the other said springmeans extending between said rear end leg pairs lever and said front endportion of said supporting body, said biasing means when said spring istensioned increases the effective lever arm of said lever, each saidlever arm and spring means acting independently of the other, andadjustable blocking means adjacent the wheels for preventing movement ofthe wheels along the ground in a predetermined direction, wherebylocomotion can be effected by alternatingly spreading and pullingtogether the leg pairs due to the oscillating force exerted by a personusing the device and the force of the spring means.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one pair of the wheels ismounted on a first axle pivotly carried by the respective leg pair by asecond axle means having an axis at right angles to the first axle, andstabilizing means, the stabilizing means extending between and beingattached to the second axle means and the support body for maintainingthe angular position of the second axle means with respect to the groundduring pivotal movement of the respective leg pair.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the stabilizing means comprises aguide brace attached to the support body through a flexible joint andattached to the second axle means through a flexible joint.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the stabilizing means comprises aguide brace attached to the second axle means through a flexible jointand slidingly attached to the support body through a slide mounting, theguide brace being supported in the slide mounting by springs.

'5. The device of claim 2 including steering means connected to thefirst axle for pivoting the first axle around the second axle means,thereby turning the respective wheels.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein both pairs of the wheels are mountedon respective first and third axles pivotly carried by the respectiveleg pairs by second and fourth respective axle means having axles atright angles to the respective first and third axles, first and secondstabilizing means, the stabilizing means extending between and beingattached to the second and fourth axle 3,023,026 2/1962 Grieder 280-218means, respectively. 3,096,990 7/1963 Thoren 2801.182

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said spring means includes means foradjusting the tension thereof. FOREIGN PATENTS 5 1,310,553 10/1962France. References CIted 410,664 3/1925 Germany. UNITED STATES PATENTSBENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

1,449088 12/1922 Kroher MILTON L. SMITH, Assistant Examiner.

2,379,492 6/1945 Sebel 2801.182

2,759,736 8/1956 Block 2801.182 10 US. Cl. X.R.

2,802,671 8/1957 Skoggard 2801.182 281.8 2

